Extract from second reading (Lords) of the Rivers Authorities and Land Drainage Bill - May 16
Friday, 17 May 2019 07:56
Baroness McIntosh of Pickering (Con):...The NFU has
raised a number of issues, and it would benefit the House for the
Minister to clarify them. First, under new Section 21F(2)(b), the
power to acquire and dispose of property needs to be carefully
defined. I know that Defra has said this will be included as a
cover-all, just in case, but we do not want to spook either
landowners or occupiers of agricultural land, which is a valuable
resource on which they rely. Secondly, under new...Request free trial
(Con):...The NFU has raised a number of issues, and it
would benefit the House for the Minister to clarify them. First,
under new Section 21F(2)(b), the power to acquire and dispose of
property needs to be carefully defined. I know that Defra has said
this will be included as a cover-all, just in case, but we do not
want to spook either landowners or occupiers of agricultural land,
which is a valuable resource on which they rely. Secondly, under
new Section 21G(2)(c) and (d), as a rivers authority will be using
public funds to carry out its work, there should be an obligation
for it to report on whether the objectives set out in its strategy
have been received. Will that report be published and the
information in it made more widely available? Under new Section
21I(2)(a), could we be clear that it will not be a specified person
but a specified body that is required? The NFU has pointed out that it would be a tall
order indeed for a single person to take on these
responsibilities. Finally from the NFU, there is a request on new Section 21J(5)(e)
for a specific reference to landowners or occupiers of agricultural
land, within the area of the rivers authority, to ensure that
members of the NFUand other occupiers and landowners are
protected. This is a plea for consultation and notification of
landowners or occupiers of agricultural land of planned activities
by a rivers authority...
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